


Cause & Effect

by necowaffer



Category: Dragonball Z
Genre: Age Difference, Bad Decisions, Denial, Drinking, F/M, Female Friendship, Pregnancy, Secret Relationship, Smut, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-21
Updated: 2014-05-15
Packaged: 2018-01-09 13:08:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1146371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/necowaffer/pseuds/necowaffer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She's drawn to him like a moth to a flame, but when you play with fire you're bound to get burned. BraGoten</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Home Alone

**Author's Note:**

> Authors Note: This is not a new story. This is the rewrite of Never Meant to Hurt You. Some major changes have been made from the original, but it is still recognizable as the same story. The original, unedited story is still floating somewhere out there on the net. I would recommend not reading it. I hope that my writing has improved somewhat over the last eight years and that you enjoy this new version.
> 
> If you've read the original story, please let me know what you think of the new version. If this is your first time reading it, I hope you enjoy my story.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plan had been for a quiet night home alone. And then he showed up.

* * *

Tuesday night found Bra curled up on the couch in the living room of her family home watching old horror films. This evening she had the house to herself, the rest of her family having gone to a picnic at Kame House earlier that day. She had opted to stay home, feeling tired and a little antisocial. The last couple of weeks had been very hectic for her and she'd just finished her finals the day before. Earning her degree by nineteen was no small task, even for a genius such as herself.

All she wanted some peace and quiet and little time to unwind. She had been somewhat disappointed that her father did not stay home with her. He was the one person who she could spend time like this with and Bra had dug out a bunch of old kung fu movies for them to watch and make fun of together. Perhaps he sensed her desire to be left alone or maybe he thought he could get a good spar out of Gohan, he had decided to go.

As soon as her family left, she dug out her oldest, most comfortable pair of sweats and an old tank, pulled her hair back into a sloppy ponytail, popped the biggest bowl of popcorn and curled up with her softest quilt for an uninterrupted night of scary movies. She let her mind go completely blank. No theories or equations or philosophy this and that, just yelling at the TV for the stupid girl not to run up the stairs or go investigate that strange noise coming from the basement.

That had been the plan, but about halfway through the second movie, she heard the front door open. She was irritated that they had come home so soon. Kame House parties usually ran all night and the sun was only just beginning to set. There was only one person coming in the house. Perhaps someone had forgotten something, but it was not her father having changed his mind or her mother forgetting her camera, it was Son Goten.

"Hey, B-Chan!" Goten said pleasantly as he came into the living room. "Where is everyone?"

"They're at Kame House for the picnic, where you're supposed to be." Bra answered; annoyed that he was disturbing her evening.

"I am?" Goten blinked in surprised. "Oh, that's right. Crap, my mom is going to kill me for not showing up."

"You should probably get going then." Bra rolled her eyes. Goten had the memory of a gnat. He'd forget his head if it weren't securely attached.

"Why aren't you there?" He asked, not catching the hint to leave.

"I just wanted some time to myself," Bra replied. "The last few weeks have been really busy for me. So I took the chance to have the house to myself ..." she trailed off, not sure if he was even listening.

Goten nodded, but he seemed more interested in the TV. "What are you watching?" He asked coming to sit next to her on the couch. "I don't think I've seen this."

"Some movie that's supposed to be scary," she watched as Goten made himself comfortable. "Make yourself at home," she muttered as he took a handful of popcorn. So much for her night alone. Though irritated as she was, she couldn't help but feel her body flush at his close proximity. He sat close enough that she could feel the heat of him on her skin. The last vestige of a childhood crush that'd somehow managed to carry into adulthood, unfurled inside of her. She didn't know what it was about the big, goofy Saiyan, but anytime he was near, her heart beat a little faster.

As the movie ended, Bra was glad that Goten had crashed her little party. It was much more fun to mock a bad movie with someone else around. She couldn't remember the last time she had laughed so hard or had such a good time doing nothing.

She turned the light on and grabbed another movie for them to watch. As she returned to her seat, she noticed Goten watching her with a thoughtful look on his face. "I don't think I've ever seen you wear your hair back before."

A hand went to her hair, remembering the messy knot she'd thrown it in earlier. Feeling a little embarrassed for not having her hair done, she started to pull it down when his hand caught hers. "Don't take it down," he said, one corner of his mouth curling up. "I like it like that." His hand gently swept the bangs off her face and she shivered at his touch. "I can see your eyes." The last was murmured so softly that Bra almost missed it.

The heat of his gaze brought blood to her cheeks as something not quite companionable flashed in his black eyes. Her stomach flip-flopped and for a moment, she felt lost as he held her in his onyx depths. "Thanks, Goten," she finally managed breathlessly after an intense moment, breaking away to turn off the light. Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw a smirk.

It took a good chunk of the movie for her heart to stop pounding.

* * *

 

"So B-Chan," Goten started conversationally, "what would you do if you were being chased around by the undead?" She turned to look at him, noticing, probably belatedly, that he was casually toying with the ends of her hair, rolling the silky blue strands absently between his fingers.

She pulled the hair from his hand with a small frown; mentally cringing that he would give her split ends. "Well, I wouldn't go running around screaming like an idiot, that's for sure," Bra turned her frown at the woman on TV who was doing just that. "Zombies are stupid, I'd just destroy them."

"You don't know how to fight," Goten teased.

"Yes I do!" Bra said feeling offended. "I can kick your ass." She turned and stuck a finger in his broad chest, noticing off-handedly, how hard it was.

Goten gave a mocking laugh, brushing away the offending digit. "Maybe if I were asleep."

Annoyed with his teasing, she scooped up a handful of popcorn and threw it in his grinning face. "You're asking for it." Goten growled playfully.

"I'm not afraid of you, Third Class." Bra retorted haughtily, looking down her nose at him with a superior smirk.

The next thing she knew, popcorn was flying everywhere. Goten grabbed the bowl in an attempt to dump it on her, but Bra was quick, grabbing his arms and trying to turn it back on him. They struggled for a minute before he overpowered her. Realizing she had lost, Bra tried to get out of the way as the bowl fell down on her, hoping to keep the salty, buttery mess out of her hair and brought Goten down with her. They landed on the couch in a laughing, tangled heap of arms, legs and popcorn, him on top of her.

Still laughing, Goten propped himself up on one elbow and picked a piece of popcorn out of her hair. "I win," he said softly with a smug grin.

Bra giggled as she looked up at him. Black eyes locked with baby blue and her chest suddenly felt as if there were a humming bird trapped inside desperately trying to get out. He was so close; she knew he could feel it. Something changed in those endless depths. The good-natured humor vanished, replaced with something darker and smoldering. Something twisted inside of her as she watched the grin slowly melt from his face, leaving something much more intense in its place. His head dipped lower and he took a deep, ragged breath, inhaling her in. Feeling a sudden boldness, Bra closed the distant between them and kissed him. She could taste the salt on his lips from the popcorn. There was no hesitation as he returned the kiss.

He pressed his body closer, kissing her harder, igniting a fire in the pit of her belly and spreading heat throughout her body. Her hands snaked their way around his back, feeling the hard muscles of his shoulders before finally tangling in the hair at the nape of his neck. One of his hands held a fistful of blue hair while the other slowly made its way down her side. He was causing flames of desire to lick at her body and a small sound of pleasure escaped her.

An instant later, he was gone.

Breathing heavily, Bra sat up on her elbows to look for him. Goten was standing out of arms reach, his chest rising with each rasping breath he took, staring at her in what could only be described as wide eyed horror. Bra looked back at him, confused and wanting. Goten narrowed his eyes as he swore, taking another step away from her and before she could say anything, he was gone.

Hearing the front door slam shut in his hasty retreat, Bra laid back down, he blue hair spilling around her. Her body still thrumming with desire, her heart pounding madly, she raised one hand to her swollen lips and smiled.

Son Goten was a very good kisser.


	2. Cake.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bra paused, watching as he licked the thick frosting from his fork. A delicate blue eyebrow went up as she noticed the attentive detail his tongue paid to getting every last bit. She could not tear her eyes away. He was very intent on making sure not one spot was missed.

* * *

A sound woke Bra from what had been a peaceful slumber. She rolled over, snuggling into her blanket and was drifting back off when she heard it again, louder this time. She glanced at the clock on the bed side table in annoyance and growled. Ten to three in the morning and there could only be one person rude enough to be making that much noise.

Bra squeezed her eyes closed in an attempted at going back to sleep, but the noise persisted steadily. Each muffled sound that made its way to her ears only served to feed her anger. Finally her irritation was so great that she knew she would not be going back to sleep anytime soon.

Throwing the blanket off with a frustrated sigh, Bra got out of bed deciding it would be better to hide out in the kitchen. Out in the hallway, she could clearly hear the cause of her disturbance. As she had thought, it was coming from her brother's room. The insensitive bastard had brought another girl home from the bar.

Though her home was large, enough to keep quite a few people comfortably, Bra had the misfortune of sharing a hall with her brother. Her parents were all the way on the other side of the house, conveniently oblivious to their son's habits. It had been just fine when she was four, but now she felt that things were getting a little cramped. Especially on nights like this.

They'd had this argument before; neither was willing to give up their room for a new one. Bra loved her room right where it was. It had a large balcony that overlooked the back yard and her grandmother's beautiful garden. An oasis in the bustling metropolis they lived in. With its own bathroom and sitting room, no other room in the house could compare.

Her brother was just stubborn since his room was half the size and faced the street. She supposed that had its advantages for a teen who liked to sneak out and cause trouble with his best friend. The room had originally been her mother's and she knew that there was a smaller room connected to it that had been Trunks' nursery. Now it was where he housed his better half whenever he crashed at their place.

Neither would budge on the issue and so she had to endure nights like this every so often.

Feet hitting the cold stone floor, Bra yawned widely as she entered the darkened kitchen. She didn't notice the room's other occupant until he greeted her, causing her to nearly jump out of her skin. It was all she could do to stifle her scream from waking the entire house. Speak of the devil.

"Goten," she hissed, eyes narrowed angrily as she tried to calm her beating heart. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

Goten chuckled, clearly amused by her reaction, his eyes lingering on her scantly clad form a moment before disappearing in the large double door refrigerator. Bra had enough decency to be somewhat embarrassed at not having put on a robe before coming down stairs, but she had not counted on anyone else being down here.

Goten emerged a second later with a plate of food and a bottled water, which Bra promptly plucked out of his hand. Frowning, he retrieved another one and then leaned back against the appliance and started eating.

"What are you doing up?" He asked shoveling food in his mouth.

"Trunks," Bra sniffed unhappily. She hopped up onto to the island across from him, the marble countertop cold against her bare thighs. Goten chuckled again, the sound a little darker than before as he watched her, eyes sparkling in the dim light.

Bra rolled her eyes and crossed her legs. "Alone tonight?" She teased, flipping her hair behind her shoulder, leaving her neck bare.

"A swing and a miss," Goten grinned ruefully.

Bra almost snorted. She found it hard to believe that Goten would strike out. She knew that he dated often and she imagined he had a little black book stashed somewhere filled with girl's numbers. He had the whole tall, dark and mysterious thing going for him. The dark shirt that stretched across his broad shoulders did nothing to hide his sleek, powerful build. His skin looked soft and smooth and every graceful movement honed by his years of training screamed of power and control. Something dangerous and untamable lurked barely hidden in those fathomless black eyes.

Bra licked her lips, her mouth suddenly dry. Yeah, she doubted he had any trouble getting women. A disturbing thought occurred to her then.

"You guys aren't planning on sharing…" Goten snickered and Bra trailed off blushing.

"No," he smirked, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Not tonight anyway."

Bra made a face, disgusted. That was more information than she needed. The look he gave her said he'd expected that reaction. He was teasing her. Asshole. She frowned.

"What are you doing here?" She asked perturbed.

Goten speared the last bit of cake on his plate and shoved it into his mouth before answering. "Food."

"Figures," she muttered, taking a drink of her water.

Bra paused, watching as he licked the thick frosting from his fork. A delicate blue eyebrow went up as she noticed the attentive detail his tongue paid to getting every last bit. She could not tear her eyes away. He was  _very_  intent on making sure not one spot was missed.

She felt the heat begin to rise and she bit her lip, a positively wicked idea coming to her.

Leaning back onto her hands, Bra uncrossed her legs causally, her knees falling open slightly. She smirked in smug triumph when the movement caught his attention, his face going completely blank.

"There's plenty to eat here," she said softly, a little surprised at how seductive her voice suddenly sounded.

She smiled fully when he licked his lips, emitting a low growl. In the blink of an eye, she found him standing in front of her. He moved so fast that she hadn't noticed until his hot hands were sliding up her thighs and she gasped. Her body reacted to his touch immediately. A small smirk toyed at the edge of his mouth as his eyes roamed her body freely before settling their intense gaze on her face. The fire that had threatened to consume her the last time he was this close blazed to life.

Inhaling deeply, Goten leaned in so close that she could feel his gentle exhale against her cheek. "Really?" His voice was so rough and deep in her ear that Bra closed her eyes, shivering. "Because I'm still hungry and you smell  _delicious_."

Her eyes flew open and locked with his for one whole second before he crushed his mouth to hers in a bruising kiss. His hand fisted tightly in her hair, holding her in place. That tongue that had been so intent on frosting a minute ago was now intent at exploring her mouth. He tasted sweet and chocolaty and beneath that, she could taste hard liquor and smoke.

In some distant part of her mind that was still coherent, Bra wondered mildly if he was a smoker. It struck her then that she couldn't honestly say she knew much about him personally. He was her brother's friend and though he'd always been in her life, they never spent time together outside of friendly gatherings. They'd never spent any small amount of time alone and it said something about both of them that the first chance they do, they can't keep their hands off each other.

Bra broke the kiss, gasping from its intensity. Goten moved his mouth to her neck, teeth grazing, tongue tasting.

"Goten…" Bra moaned breathlessly, her voice painted with lust.

He answered her with another deep growl, fingers digging into her hips as he pulled her against him roughly. Bra inhaled sharply at the contact, nails tearing into his bicep, breaking the skin. Her long legs took on a mind of their own, wrapping themselves tightly around his slim waist. Goten's hand found its way under the thin cotton gown and was scorching its way across her abdomen while the other splayed across her back holding her to him as he pressed closer.

As his hand moved up, his mouth moved lower and Bra felt dangerously out of control. The scariest part was that she did not care. Did not want him to stop. Everywhere he touched, be it fingertips or tongue, was left burned in their wake. She couldn't remember having ever felt such blistering desire before. She needed him to sate this appetite he created in her.

Goten froze abruptly and turned his head sharply, cocking it to the side as if he were listening to something. Bra tensed with him, unsure of what he was sensing. It dawned on her then just where she was, what she was doing and with whom she was doing it with while her father slept above them. The man was a notoriously light sleeper with an even more notoriously short temper. The thought of him coming downstairs to find her pinned under Goten on his immaculate marble countertop where he ate his breakfast, wearing nothing more than a nightgown and guilty grin was enough to effectively put out her fire. To say that her father would not be please to find the son of his sworn enemy fondling his daughter under his nose would be a deadly mistake.

Taking into consideration that Goten had not bolted from the grounds as if his tail were on fire, Bra felt it safe to assume that her father was not yet awake. She twisted her fingers in his spiky black hair and turning his face to hers, kissed him. It was not as desperate as the one before though it held no less passion. His hand trailed it's was down her body, slowly going over every curve until it rested at her knee. When he finally pulled away, Bra was breathless again.

Brows pulled down, his smoldering onyx eyes captured her own. "You are trouble," he whispered, his mouth curling into a sensuous grin. Then he pulled away from her completely, turned around and left without a backwards glance.

Bra stayed rooted to the spot trying to catch her breath, until she heard the front door softly close in his departure. She didn't trust herself not to go chasing after him to finish what they'd started. Biting her lip, Bra tried to make sense of what exactly had just happened. One minute they were teasing each other and the next they were having the hottest make session she had ever experienced.

It was a full minute before she could trust her legs not to collapse from under her. Sliding down from the counter, she ran shaky hands through her rumpled hair and tried to smooth out her gown. She could hear someone moving around upstairs and a moment later, her brother appeared walking his "date" to the door.

Of course Goten would sense her brother. If it had been her father, they wouldn't have known he was there until they stood before King Enma. Trunks and Goten shared a bond that was just this side of creepy at the best of times.

She half listened to their murmured conversation while she set a bot to clean up Goten's mess. When the door closed, Bra walked into the hall and stood behind her brother with her hands on her hips. Trunks turned around, surprised to find her there.

"What are you doing up?" He asked. Bra rolled her eyes.

"Honestly, Trunks," Bra scolded. "You really need to get your own place. I'm tired of being woke up every time you decide to bring a girl home."

Trunks snorted in response then regarded her through narrowed eyes for a moment. "Why the hell are you so red?"

Bra felt herself blush to her roots, her skin tingling as she recalled exactly why. She could still feel Goten's hands on her body. Trunks would be livid if he found out. Crossing her arms over her chest, she frowned as hard as she could. "Maybe because I find you repugnant and embarrassing," she retorted between clenched teeth.

Before her brother could respond and interrogate her further, Bra turned and stomped up the stairs.


	3. A Gift.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She smiled softly at Goten's image, with his sloppy salute and lackadaisical smile he managed to be handsome without even trying. Just how long had she felt that way about him? She remembered feeling wistful in his presence even then. And now…

* * *

Bra sat back in her chair and glared down at the paper on the desk until the equations and diagrams became a nonsensical blur. This was a fine way to spend a Friday night. The intent had been to work on her pet project to keep her mind off of Goten, but she was finding no such reprieve. In fact, she'd gotten next to nothing to done and was still stuck on the same problem as she had been an hour ago. Lovely.

Snatching the paper from the desk with renewed determination, Bra left her bedroom in search of her mother. Obviously working on this alone was getting her nowhere; at least her mother would help keep her focused.

Once in the hall, however, Bra noticed the door to her brother's bedroom was open and she could hear music coming from within. It was already after five and she wondered if he'd been at work this entire time. She knew the company was working a huge deal for the upcoming year. Though she didn't know much about it, she knew Trunks was working longer hours than usual. Curiosity getting the best of her, she crossed the hall to her brother's room.

A knock announced her presence as she entered the room and Trunks stepped out of the adjoining bathroom with a towel around his shoulders. "Bra," he greeted her, sounding a little surprised. "What do you want?"

Bra gave a careless shrug as she tossed herself onto the chocolate-colored leather sofa in the corner of his room. She found it absolutely pointless to even have a couch in this pathetically small room, as it almost took up an entire wall, but as long as it gave someplace to sit besides his bed, well, she wasn't complaining. "Bored," she replied in a dull tone. "Did you just get home from work?"

"Yeah," he grunted. "Mom's been busting my balls over this deal like I'm not going to land it or something," he rolled his eyes. "She wants everything perfect and 'by the book' so I have to oversee and double-check every minute detail or she'll have a fit," he grumbled. Grabbing a shirt from his dresser, he shrugged it on before disappearing into the large walk-in closet.

Bra did not have to wonder at his remark about their mother. Though she had no real dealings with the family company, it was not hard to imagine her mother's harping. The one summer she spent as an engineer intern had been more than enough for her. And while Trunks has done a commendable job since taking over as CEO a few years ago, he still had a track record of slacking off where he could.

Bra pulled herself off the couch and crossed the room to inspect his music collection. Though she held little appreciation for the soft jazz that he was playing, Trunks had a wide and eclectic taste in music. It must've been a rough day at the office for him to be listening to this after work selection. Idly, she flipped through the albums wondering if there was anything new she could steal from him.

Emerging from the other room, Trunks silently asked her approval of the casual dark blue shirt he was buttoning up. Since the color didn't clash with is lavender hair, Bra nodded and he disappeared once again into the bathroom. She sometimes felt sorry for Trunks. There were just some things he could not wear due to his coloring and Bra was grateful she did not have that problem. She just couldn't imagine a life without the color red.

Having not found anything worth pilfering from her brother's music collection, Bra moved on to investigating the items meticulously arranged on his dresser. Aside from the various odds and ends – loose change and a few wayward cufflinks, there were several framed photographs. One corner held a family photo from when they were young and next to it a smaller picture of Gohan, Goten and Trunks from the last Budokai tournament a few years ago. Pushing a couple of bottles of cologne out of the way, Bra picked up the latter to examine it more closely, one person specifically catching her eye.

She smiled softly at Goten's image, with his sloppy salute and lackadaisical smile he managed to be handsome without even trying. Just how long had she felt that way about him? She remembered feeling wistful in his presence even then. And now… she set the frame down, refusing to finish the thought and continued her perusal of Trunks' belongings.

On the opposite end of the dresser sat one last beautifully frame photograph. The way its sole occupant peered out from beneath dark fringe with a small, almost shy smile gave Bra pause. Hello, what do we have here? Bra gave the picture closer inspection. Sitting on a fallen log, no doubt in the woods that surrounded her home was Son Pan. Her long black hair fell loose about her shoulders, that god forsaken orange bandana fisted in her hand. Wearing a pair of cargo shorts and a tank top, with mud caked on her boots, there was nothing in particular out of place with the scene except for the look on Pan's face. It was demure and blushing and decidedly too girly for her best friend.

Well, if a picture said a thousand words then surely the way it was presented held a language of its own. Interesting.

Bra considered this revelation for a moment. Absentmindedly she picked up the different bottles of cologne neatly situated on the dresser, taking a whiff before placing it wherever she would, effectively destroying whatever convoluted ordering system Trunks had them in.

"Stop that." Bra jumped at the sound of her brother's annoyed voice behind her. Glancing down, she grinned. He hated it when his things were out of order. It was almost obsessive-compulsive the manner in which he arranged his belongings. All in neat rows, by size, shape or color – honestly, Bra had no idea what formula he used. All she knew was that he hated it, absolutely hated it when she touched his things.

On nothing more than a childish impulse, she fussed with the last untouched items. Turning to face him, she was rewarded for her efforts with a dark glare. Shoving his toothbrush into his mouth, Trunks pushed his laughing sister out of the way and began to undo her mess.

"What's this?" Trunks asked around the brush, nodding to the thin stack of papers sitting on the nearby table.

All at once Bra remembered her original plan of getting work done tonight. "You remember that project I told you about?" Her brother gave her blank stare and Bra rolled her eyes. "Anyway, that's part of it, but I can't figure this part of the formula out. I was on my way to find mom when I stopped in here."

Bra saw the curiosity peak in Trunks' blue eyes as he picked up the pages. The fact that Trunks was more of a businessman than a scientist did not detract from his understanding. He may never invent the next Capsule, but he would understand its intricate workings.

"Think you can help me out?" Bra asked, trying not to cringe at the thought of toothpaste slobber all over her worksheet. Honestly, the man had no manners.

Trunks' sharp eyes scanned the page briefly before he set it back down and took the toothbrush from his mouth – and Bra could see the spittle flying off the bristles– before answering. "Not tonight," he said at last. "I'm going out." He returned to the bathroom to finish brushing his teeth.

"Oh?" and then, in what she hoped was a casual, off-hand comment, "with Goten?"

"We're meeting up later," Trunks answered when he came back into the room.

Bra leaned against the dresser, eyeing her brother speculatively, a sudden interest sparked within her. "Can I go with you?" She chewed her bottom lip as Trunks stopped fussing with his watch and regarded her with a raised brow. "I'm bored," she said in response to his gaze, crossing her arms defensively over her chest. "I haven't been out in ages and it's not exactly like I can go out by myself."

"Please," she pleaded, but Trunks only shook his head.

"Yeah, that's what I want to do. Go out to the bar with my baby sister. I can imagine how well the night would end." Trunks' incredulous tone set Bra's temper on edge.

"Don't be like that, Trunks," Bra sneered. "I promise not to get in the way of your man-whoring."

He actually laughed at the jibe.

"Yeah, I guess I should take you out, shouldn't I?" Trunks said with a grin and Bra felt hope fill her chest at his words. "But," he amended quickly, "not tonight. I'm meeting a friend for dinner."

Bra made a small sound of distaste. Trunks didn't really have a lot of friends; he just knew a lot of friendly people. Disappointed, but with a promise of future club hopping, Bra left her brother to finish getting ready in peace.

* * *

Making her way to the main level of the home, Bra wondered what had become of her parents. She'd seen neither hide nor hair of them in hours and there'd been no call to dinner yet. Her family did not have sit down dinners at a specific time, not since she'd been a child, but it was unusual to not have at least heard from her mother.

She did not discover her father when she poked her head into the kitchen. The living room was conspicuously quiet with the TV off in her mother's absence. Staring into the empty room, Bra placed her hands on her hips; at a momentary loss as to where either of her parents might be. Frowning, Bra made her way down the long hall that led to the back of the house.

There she found her mother holed up in the back office, looking stressed and frazzled. Bulma sat hunched over the computer, a cigarette burning forgotten in an ashtray on her cluttered desk. Piles of paperwork scattered haphazardly across the large desk. Several days of old coffee cups sat among them, leaving stains on the dark wood.

"Hey mom," Bra called as she entered the room, startling Bulma from her work.

"Oh, Bra, you startled me," Bulma said and then gave her daughter a brilliant smile. "I'm so glad to see you."

Bra faltered at her mother's overly cheerful tone. That look did not bode well for the young woman. "What's up?" She asked cautiously.

"I'm glad you're here," Bulma went on, "I need a favor."

Nope. Not good. Bra took a step back in the direction she came. If her mother noticed, however, she didn't let on, bending down beside the desk and sitting back up with a box in tow.

"I need you to deliver this to Videl, ASAP."

"What! No, mom. No way." Bra could think of nothing worse than driving to the middle of nowhere and back on a Friday night. "Don't we hire people to do these things?"

Bulma frowned, anger flashing in her blue eyes. "I already did, but apparently the courier sent to deliver it thought he had better things to do than drive to Mount Pazou. The asshole marked it off as delivered and I was only just informed tonight that it hadn't been. I neither have the time nor inclination to trust someone else to get this done. Videl should have had this over a week ago!" Bulma finished her rant by blowing her bangs out of her eyes and lighting another cigarette.

Oh how Bra could empathize with that poor, jobless bastard right now. It wasn't that she didn't love visiting the Son's, it was just that they literally lived in the middle of nowhere and it took forever to get there. Honestly, she would rather spend her night working than driving out there for nothing.

"Mom, can't you—" She almost suggested her mother just do it herself, but had the feeling such a thing would not go over very well. "What about—" Again, she paused, knowing Trunks was already gone. "Send Daddy?" She finished lamely.

"Bra, be serious," her mother's stern look softened. "I know you don't want to do this, so how about I sweeten the deal?"

Bra answered her mother with a pout. It would have to be pretty sweet for her to not sulk about being forced to drive out there. And really, there was no choice, no matter how her mother framed it. The last time she had refused to do her mother a "favor", she'd found her credit card declined. Not an experience she wanted to revisit anytime soon.

She watched her mother curiously as she spun in her chair and unlocked the wall safe behind her. One might think that Bulma kept Very Important Documents in there – and there were some – but Bra knew that the safe mostly held emergency packs of cigarettes, a bottle of fine brandy and maybe a box or two of gourmet chocolate. Any important documents pertaining to the company were kept at the company's main facility. Other documents relating to the family were safely stored in a safe deposit box at the bank.

Did her mother honestly think to sweeten this deal literally? Because a box of French chocolate, no matter how exquisite were not going to cover the long hours there and back. Bra did not have to wonder long though, for her mother turned back to face her, nearly bursting with excitement.

"I was going to give this to you as a going away present." Bulma grinned, "But I just can't wait any longer! I know you're just going to love it!"

Bra found her mother's excitement contagious and she suddenly felt that she would do anything to have whatever it was. She was practically humming with anticipation when her mother finally held out a pure black capsule.

"This," Bulma said, her eyes sparkling, "is Capsule Corps newest luxury concept car. There are only two finished models, our showroom car and yours. We aren't starting production on this line for another year or so. This new model will go hand in hand with the new deal Trunks is working on, so I want to make sure that is up and running before launching the luxury line."

Bra slowly processed her mother's words. She was getting a new car, but not just any new car, a car that no one else would have. The blue haired girl did not know how to properly respond. She stared at the black capsule, imagining the envious looks she'd receive for driving the hottest new car that no one could get their hands on. Something inside of her snapped and she let out a shriek of pure joy. Faster than her poor mother could see, Bra snatched the capsule from her palm and bolted from the room.

Standing outside in the grand driveway in front of her home, Bra was nearly shaking with anticipation as she pushed the plunger on the capsule and threw it in front of her. A moment later, a sleek candy-apple red car appeared.

The deep red paint job gleamed as if demanding to be looked at. It was built for speed on the road, sitting low to the ground with wide tires that also seemed to shine. Bra walked around the car drinking it in. The windows were tinted so dark they looked black and she couldn't easily see the interior.

By the time Bra made a complete circle around the car, her mother joined her. "What do you think?" Bulma asked.

"It's bitchin'." Bra replied. "And I'm the only one who has one? Not even Trunks?" This was very important to her. Trunks always did everything before her. Most of it had to do with him being older, but Bra liked the idea of having something he didn't.

Bulma grinned, indulging her daughter. "Nope, he won't be able to get his hands on this for some time. I kept this as a pet project. He knows they're in line for production, but he doesn't know you have one."

With tears in her eyes, Bra hugged the older woman. "Thanks mom! This is the best gift ever!"

Bulma returned the hug with relish. "Now, it won't be a problem to run this out to Videl, will it?"

The young woman nodded vigorously, more than willing to have an excuse to drive her new toy.


	4. Drive.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She couldn't decide if she was more angry at herself for reading too much into something so foolish or him for being a fool. It was frustrating to her, the way her body seemed strung in anticipation.

It was well into the night by the time Bra reached the Son's house. Grabbing the burden from the seat beside her, Bra reluctantly got out of the car and made her way to the door. Gohan answered after the first knock and let her in with a smile.

"Bra, it's good to see you again," he greeted as she walked into the house.

Bra responded politely in kind. She'd always liked Pan's father. For being quite possibly the most powerful being in the universe, he was surprisingly normal. He held a normal job at the university as a professor and wore suits and glasses to work. When he came home, he relaxed by reading a book or playing chess with his wife.

He didn't wear spandex jumpsuits and spend all day training at five hundred times the earth's gravity. He didn't disappear three or four times a year to the far reaches of space. Pan's parents didn't show their affection by screaming and throwing things at each other. They were just normal.

Pan would say that they were boring and overbearing, but she didn't really understand what it was like to have your mother called a mad scientist and your father a psychotic maniac. For Bra, coming to the Son home was a breath of fresh air. A glimpse of what her life may have been like if her father had not been raised on death and bloodshed.

Videl came from the kitchen when Gohan called. "Bra, thank you for coming all the way out here to deliver this to me, I know it's a long drive." She said taking the box from Bra.

"It was no problem," Bra replied with a smile.

"Still," Videl went on. "My father's fundraiser is coming up soon and I was starting to worry that we wouldn't have everything ready. You know Capsule Corporation is a huge contributor; I don't know what we'd do without them."

Bra blinked in surprise. Was it that time of year already? Mr. Satan's charity event kicked off the start of the fundraiser season. It was an almost grueling expedition through the upper echelons of society. The richest of the rich would congregate at various fundraisers trying to outdo each other in donations to a variety of charities. It was also the perfect time for corporate heads to get together and assess their competition and form alliances. The events were usually filled with so much backstabbing and ass kissing that the real reason behind them was lost. It didn't matter in the end, as the charities still benefitted from it. Of course, with the Briefs being among some of the wealthiest, they were right in the middle of it all, but luckily Bra was hardly ever required to attend. It just wasn't her scene.

"Pan is upstairs," Videl said, setting her box on a table. "She's getting ready for her date with Lee." She winked and Bra raised an eyebrow.

Bra excused herself with a polite smile and made her way upstairs to Pan's room. The bedroom door swung open before she had a chance to knock and Pan stuck her head out into the hall. "Bra, I thought that was you," she said, letting her into the room.

Son Pan's room was what Bra would consider a typical teenage girl's bedroom to be. It was tidy enough, with piles of clothes in the corner of the room and stacks of books and pictures on every surface. The walls were filled with pictures of friends and movie posters to the point that one could only guess at what color the they actually were. The room was small, with only enough room for a double bed, a desk and a comfy old reading chair and table. In Bra's opinion, the space's only saving grace was the small en suite bathroom.

"Videl said you're getting ready for a date," Bra stated with a raised eyebrow, moving an old comic out of the chair to sit.

Pan flushed prettily and nodded. "Lee is picking me up and we're going over to the next town for this annual festival they have. He's coming to meet my parents." She locked eyes with Bra, giving her words weight.

"It's that serious?" Bra asked, both brows going up now.

She knew Pan had dated this boy for a while now and knew she wasn't seeing anybody else. However, the younger girl had a bit of a reputation for dating around. For as long as she'd been in school, there was hardly a weekend when she didn't have a date. Unfortunately, none ever went much further than the first date.

As fickle as Pan appeared to be, Bra understood that she was only looking for something. Most the boys she dated were scared off by Pan's strength, both in personality and body. And Pan refused to pull her punches; to be anything less than who she truly was. It was a quality she found both frustrating and admirable in her best friend: her ability to put herself out there like that.

It wasn't something Bra had a lot of experience with.

"Yes. No! I don't know…" Pan answered, turning to gaze into the mirror on her bathroom door. "I mean, it's not like he hasn't met them before. He teaches at Grandpa's dojo, but this is…" she trailed off, biting her lip, looking for the right word.

"Sounds serious to me," Bra supplied, standing and walking over to rummage through Pan's closet. "If he's willing to drive all the way out here and deal with Gohan giving him the third degree, then he must be serious."

Pan groaned. "You know my dad is going to act like a complete jerk when he gets here. He always does whenever a date picks me up. That's why I started meeting them in the city instead. This is going to be so painful," she bemoaned.

Bra laughed with delight at the thought of witnessing Gohan give Pan's boyfriend the third degree. Her father wasn't so much the type to give a potential suitor the third degree as he was to glare with murderous intent and watch them sweat. There were far too few who didn't just turn around and walk out the door.

"Don't laugh," Pan snipped. Crossing her arms over her chest, she grinned. "At least my father has never ripped the door off a car and hauled me out of it."

Bra winced and shot Pan a dirty look. That had happened last year. The date had been set up by one of those charity win a date with a celebrity events she had volunteered for under Capsule Corporation when her brother wasn't able to. She had been lucky enough to land a hot young guy, the son of some foreign dignitary. The date had been great, but Bra made the mistake of fooling around in the car afterwards in her driveway. Just as things were heating up, Vegeta ripped the door off the car and pulled her out.

She had been so furious she didn't remember seeing her date make a hasty retreat. The screaming fight they had lasted over an hour. Unfortunately the debacle took place on their front lawn and paparazzi caught the whole thing. Pictures from the incident turned up in every magazine, blog, and newspaper for months afterward. There wasn't enough damage control in the world to mitigate what happened that night. And while her father couldn't care less what the media thought of him or the family business, her mother was irate. For a while, Bra honestly feared she was going to murder them both.

Pan disappeared into the bathroom while Bra inspected her closet, tossing out different items of clothing she deemed "date worthy" and throwing them on Pan's bed. Pan's small closet was crammed with clothes to which there was no order. School uniforms were smashed in with dresses from dances and workout gi. Most of the colors were dark and muted, mostly earth tones with splashes of vibrant orange sprinkled throughout.

Emerging from the closet, Bra heard the water in the bathroom running as she started sorting through the pile on the bed. Pan didn't own outfits, she realized to her chagrin, however she did spot a dark blue button down shirt; boycut, with short sleeves and a little pocket in the front.

Bra held the shirt up to her chest and checked herself out in the mirror. She was entirely too busty for a shirt like this, but the dove gray chenille skirt she was wearing looked perfect with it. That made the decision for her and setting the shirt down, she began to shimmy out of her skirt.

The skirt was just dropping past her knees when Pan walked back into the room. "Oh my god, what are you doing?" Pan exclaimed turning beet red and looking away quickly.

Bra rolled her eyes at her friend. She wasn't naked for Dende's sake, she was wearing panties. This time. "I'm letting you borrow my skirt," she said with a nonchalant shrug. "It looks really cute with this shirt of yours."

At the mention of wearing a skirt, Pan whipped back around, embarrassment over Bra's nakedness forgotten. "What? I am NOT wearing a skirt!"

Pan's predictable outrage at wearing something girly almost had Bra rolling her eyes again. "There's nothing wrong with wearing a skirt. I thought we decided this date was serious?" The skirt looked short on Bra, but Pan was smaller, with less flare to her hips and would sit modestly above the knee. She tried handing the item over, but Pan balked.

"I don't care! I don't wear skirts and I'm not starting tonight. Put your clothes back on!" Pan replied heatedly crossing her arms over her chest.

"Fine, then what are you wearing?" Bra shot back, mirroring Pan's pose.

She unfolded and gestured to herself, "this is what I'm wearing and its fine."

Bra pursed her lips, trying to fight off a sneer of distaste as she took in the baggy cargo pants and plan t-shirt. After a moment she shrugged, "if that's what you want to wear…" and pulled her skirt back on. There was a tense silence and after she dressed the two regarded each other warily.

She could see Pan fingering the old t-shirt she had on and reconsidering her decision. She already knew the younger girl would second guess herself and she should've felt bad about that. For all her bluster and self-confidence, Bra knew where to find her weak spots.

Finally, with lips pursed and brows drawn, Pan asks, "Does it really look that bad?"

"You could do better," Bra responds with practiced ease.

"I'm not wearing your skirt," Pan stated angrily.

This time Bra did roll her eyes at her friend before going through the clothes she had piled on the bed until she came across a pair of jeans with the tags still on them. She tossed the outfit to Pan who regarded it with distrust before disappearing into the bathroom to change without another word. Bra looked around the room while she was gone, her curiosity killing time.

She looked over the wall of pictures, her eyes inadvertently stopping on any picture with Goten in it. It was like her eyes could not help but be drawn to his face and every picture of him with the slightest smirk sent a chill down her spine. As she looked over the pictures, she was really searching for that one out of place photo. She figured if Trunks had one in his room, surely Pan did too. It was no big secret that she used to have a crush on him. Years ago, when she had first started dating, Pan had told her that she was only biding her time, waiting for Trunks. She had confided that she didn't feel anyone would ever understand her the way Trunks did. Bra wasn't sure if those sentiments still held true, but considering her reawakened feelings Goten, she wouldn't set it aside so quickly.

After looking for a couple of minutes, Bra realized that there were no pictures of Trunks. Zero. Not even one of them together. This made Bra pause. Perhaps the absence of his image said something about her feelings for him? She didn't have time to ponder that line of thought any further when Pan emerged from the bathroom fully dressed in the outfit she picked out. Bra grinned triumphantly at getting her friend to wear something other than a workout gi. "You look great!"

"Bra, these jeans are tight," Pan frowned and pulled at the demin around her thigh. "I can't even move in these. What if something happens? I won't be able to fight!"

Bra shook her head, "Well, you wouldn't have that problem if you were wearing a skirt." She said with a smirk.

Pan grumbled "whatever" under her breath as she sat down at the vanity. Bra took her place behind her and began running a brush through her raven locks. It was the one area they didn't argue about, Bra always did Pan's hair and makeup when they were together. Tonight she brushed her hair until it shined and fell straight and sleek down to the middle of her back. Bra had always been a bit envious of Pan's hair. It took the blue haired girl far more effort to achieve the same results. The thick, chunky bangs Pan wore for years were finally growing out and with liberal use of hair spray and a flatiron, Bra managed to get them to swoop across her forehead perfectly.

As she worked, she listened to Pan's almost rambling stream of conscience. She told her how she met Lee, who was a student teacher at her grandfather's dojo. He hadn't been there for very long when he climbed onto the roof of the school at Mr. Satan's request to fix the dish reception. Pan, who had just been walking through the courtyard on her way to visit her grandfather heard his shout as he slipped and fell. She said she didn't think about, just flew up and snatched him out of the air. Bra watched as a light blush spread across the other girl's cheek when she spoke about the flowers he brought her afterwards. Even though Bra considered herself somewhat of a romantic, she found Pan's story just a little too sweet and doe-eyed for the young tomboy sitting in front of her. It was just a bit sickening.

"I think I'm going to tell him," Pan blurted when Bra sat down in front of her to put on her makeup.

Bra paused, letting that sink in. "Are you sure?" She asked, opening a jar of moisturizer and scooping a bit on her fingers.

"He's already seen me fly," Pan replied as Bra began smoothing the lotion onto her face. "I mean, that's how we met. He was fixing something on Grandpa's roof and fell off."

"I know, but…" Bra trailed off, trying to find the right words to explain why she didn't like the idea without upsetting Pan. The thought made her uncomfortable, that someone outside of their tight-knit group would know of their alien origin. It was impossible for Pan to only share her past without exposing her own. It wasn't as if the rest of the world didn't already know that both families were freakishly strong. She didn't want to think about what kind of ridiculous uproar would result if people found out it was her father that had tried to destroy their planet so many years ago.

"You haven't even known him that long," is what she settled on saying. Even still she felt the other girl stiffen. "I mean, has he asked?"

Pan's shoulders slumped with a sigh. "No," she responded, "but he's got to be wondering. I think he waiting for me to tell him something. I don't know."

Bra felt a bit of her own tension ease with Pan's answer. "Don't get ahead of yourself…" She trailed off at the faint sound of knocking at the front door. Pan sat up straight again, the vague, glassy look in her eye that she got when read ki.

"He's here," she jumped from the chair and made for the door before Bra grabbed her.

"Don't go running down there just yet, it'll look bad!" Bra admonished, pushing her friend back to the chair. "I'm not done yet anyway."

Pan scowled, "I don't see how keeping him waiting looks better than meeting him at the door." However she settled back into the chair.

Bra ignored her and took her time finishing her work. There wasn't much to be done. Pan didn't wear makeup and it was one argument the girl knew she wouldn't win no matter what underhanded tactics she tried. Not that Pan needed makeup in the first place. Her skin was already clear and soft, tanned from hours working in the sun. The only things Bra really did was add a coat of mascara to the other girl's long, thick lashes - because no one should ever go without mascara - and powder to keep the shine away.

By the time Bra finished, Pan's knee was jumping with impatience. "Done." Bra said with a soft sigh, watching as Pan bolted from the room. Honestly, if she didn't enjoy putting on makeup so much, she would be offended at how little appreciation the other girl showed for her efforts. As it was, Pan was already downstairs greeting her date and Bra's curiosity got the better of her.

She crept down the stairs quietly, so as not to draw attention to herself. Sitting on the bottom step, she watched with growing enjoyment as Pan tried desperately to make a quick break from her parent's questions. Gohan looked much more intimidating outside of his suit and glasses with his arms crossed over his chest. He stood quietly behind Videl, eyeing the boy up and down while his wife made uncomfortable small talk. And though her voice was pleasant, her blue eyes held mischief as if she was thoroughly enjoying watching them squirm.

As for the boy in question, Lee was standing at attention and Bra could easily see the years of martial arts training in his posture. He was tall, with shaggy, sandy brown hair that fell into his eyes. The corners of his green eyes crinkled when he smiled. It was large and easygoing, as if he smiled a lot and enjoyed doing so. When he laughed a dimple showed on his cheek.

Bra could definitely see his appeal.

She couldn't hear what was being said on the other side of the room, but Pan's cheeks were pink and she was fidgeting as if she wanted to get away. Pan shot Bra a desperate look, but she was disinclined to get involved. After a few more minutes of conversation, Videl finally let them leave with a warning not to be out too late. Without a backwards glance, Pan grabbed Lee's hand and bolted from the house.

As Bra rose from her spot on the stairs, she could hear the sound of gravel crunching under tires as the couple made their escape. Videl turned to her with a roll of her blue eyes. "Why don't you stay for dinner, Bra?"

"I should really be getting home," she responded, hedging her way closer to the door. She didn't really want to sit and have awkward conversation with Pan's parents.

"Let me at least send you with something," Videl said as she made her way to the kitchen.

As Bra turned to follow Videl into the kitchen she caught the small wave goodbye from Gohan as he disappeared into his study. She had no doubt that he would be up all night in there waiting for Pan to get home, even though there were only a handful of people on the planet who could actually hurt her and her boyfriend wasn't one of them.

In the kitchen, she and Videl made small talk about the upcoming Capsule Corporation shareholders event and the various charities Videl sat on for her father's business. Just as the older woman was snapping closed the last container, the front door slammed open with a loud bang.

"Who's car is that?" A familiar voice called out.

Bra and Videl emerged from the kitchen to find Goten in the living room.

"Goten," Videl said pleasantly. "What are you doing here? Were you visiting with your mom today?"

Goten grinned at his sister-in-law and nodded. "Was just on my way back to the city when I saw the car out front." At this his attention turned to Bra for the first time. "Is that yours?"

Bra grinned and nodded, trying not to show how flustered she suddenly was. "It's a present from mom."

From the way her face was heating up she knew she must have an obvious blush. It couldn't be helped, she could not stop thinking about the way he had kissed her, bent over the marble countertop in her kitchen. He seemed wholly unaffected by her presence as he chatted with Videl and Bra had to wonder if he even remembered. He had been out drinking that night after all.

She hadn't actually seen more than a glimpse of him since that and wasn't quite sure how to act now. As much as she wanted to play it cool, she couldn't help the way her eyes greedily looked him over. She always found the man before her attractive, he was probably the first person she had ever thought about that way. And even though she liked him dressed as he was the other night - with his clothes fitting in just a way to draw the eye - she also appreciated the way his old orange gi fit loosely against his frame.

"...thought maybe Trunks was here," he was saying and Bra realized that she had zoned out and hoped no one had noticed she was checking him out. "I'm meeting him back at my place in a few, so I guess I'll be going."

"Well, if you're on the way to West City then you should go with Bra and keep her company," Videl said, shoving the container of food into the girl's hands. Bra fumbled with the package as she tried to think of a good reason to object. "I know you'd probably get home faster flying on your own, but she did me a huge favor coming all the way out here so late."

"It's really not a big deal -" she started when Goten cut her off.

"Sure," he said with an easy shrug of his shoulders, his dark eyes sliding her way. She felt a chill run through her at the way the corner of his mouth quirked up.

* * *

Despite the vibe she got from him leaving Pan's house, Goten was more or less how she always remembered him. Affable and charming; nothing like the man she had encountered in her kitchen. They managed to keep up a steady flow of conversation, with only a few awkward pauses and neither said anything about that late night so many weeks ago. It only gave more credence to the idea that he didn't remember.

It kinda made her angry actually.

She couldn't decide if she was more angry at herself for reading too much into something so foolish or him for being a fool. It was frustrating to her, the way her body seemed strung in anticipation. With him so maddenly near, she could feel the phantom heat from his touches running up along her side before pooling low in belly. And the entire time he was simply sitting next to her calmly talking about his job with Mister Satan, some story about teaching him to fly, and she might as well have been sitting next to her brother. Even still, the edge of him mouth curled into a mischievous grin as if he had a secret that he didn't intend to share.

Finally, with his direction, they pulled in front of a tall building not far from her own home. It was rather posh, much nicer than any bachelor pad she would have envisioned for him. "I didn't realize you had a place here," she said looking him over appraisingly. It was the truth anyway, she had never given much thought to Goten having his own place here instead of closer to his family's home.

He gave a causal lift of his shoulders, turning from the window to face her with an unreadable expression on his handsome face. "About a year now," he said. "I was spending so much time here it only made sense. Mister Satan wants me to help him open a dojo here too so there was plenty of incentive."

Bra quirked an eyebrow at that interesting bit of information. He was being difficult to read, but he wasn't making any move to leave the car and she had to wonder if he was purposely trying to drive her mad. He relaxed against the black leather seat with one arm slung across the back. His dark eyes were watching her, seeming to assess her every move, and she bit her lip at the smoldering heat she felt wherever they trailed across her body. A few hours ago she would've been adamant that she didn't want to tangle with him again, but the moment he was near the energy in her blood pulsed across her body all the way to her fingertips and she couldn't help the desire to touch him.

The air was thick with tension as she pulled her legs to curl underneath her and lean across his body to look out the passenger window up at the tall red brick building they stopped in front of. "Which one is yours?" She asked, looking up at him from beneath her lashes.

His eyes dragged their way across the length of her back before resting once again on her face and he smirked, clearly amused. "Top floor, of course." She felt the roughness of his voice all the way down to her toes. The tension in the car had risen to almost intolerable levels at their closeness and she could practically feel the energy crackle between them.

She pulled back so that she was no longer leaning across his lap, but still leaning her body toward him. That undefinable something in his eyes was burning again and she gave him a smirk of her own, dragging her bottom lip between her teeth as she said, "Are you going to invite me up?"

Bra felt herself flush at the husky sound of her voice and the blatant meaning behind her words. There was a spark of something, like the air igniting between them and this time his brow rose at her words. She found herself caught in his eyes, unable to blink or look away from his glittering onyx stare. The space between them all but seemed to disappear and yet he still hadn't made any significant move.

Never one to wait around for something she wanted, she closed the distance, pressing her lips against his. What started out as a gentle caress of lips very quickly evolve to something much more heated, as she was beginning to learn it did with them. He drug his teeth across her bottom lip much in the same way she had and a shuddered gasp escaped her allowing his tongue to slip in and claim her mouth.

Bra thread her fingers through his dark hair, pulling him close and it was no more than the space of a few heartbeats before she felt his warm hand wrap around the back of her head to hold her in place. His other arm was still slung over the back of her seat and it was just too casual for what she wanted right then. Her flesh buzzed with the pent-up desire to be closer. She tried to shift closer to him, but the center console in the car blocked her way.

In a snap decision she broke the kiss to move across the car and into the passenger seat, smiling at the somewhat dazed look on his face as her thighs slowly slid down over his until she was pressed flush against him. She licked her lips as she watch his adam's apple bob as he swallowed thickly and then his hand tangled in her hair, fisted at the nape of her neck and he kissing her again. There was something different this time. A reckless frenzy that wasn't there before, as if he had lost some of the control he always held over her.

She relished it.

Bra's hands roamed across his chest, moving up to smooth across his broad shoulders, and down to caress his arms before sliding up into his hair; her manicured nails scraping against his scalp. He hissed, the fingers of his other hand flexing against her bare thigh before gripping her tightly and pressing his hips into hers.

A loud moan tore from her throat, uninhibited in her desire and the delicious friction he was creating between their bodies. That heat that had built in her reach a fevered pitch and she pushed her hips down, grinding against him in an attempt to alleviate some of the pressure. He let go of her hair, grabbing her hips to still her movements and she whimpered at the loss of contact.

Goten grinned up at her and though he was breathing heavily he seemed to have regained some of his control. The air between them was impossibly hot as they shared the same breath, their lips close but no longer touching. His eyes were bottomless, sharp and calculating. He clutched her hips, shifting her up a little higher before his hand dropped back down to caress her thighs. Bra's eyes drifted closed and never before had she been so insanely happy at Pan's shunning of her fashion sense as she was at that moment as his hands made their way up under her skirt.

She held perfectly still as he blazed a trail of heat across the backs of her bare thighs and she may have stopped breathing altogether when his fingers brushed against the edge of her panties. Bra bit her lip hard when his fingers slip under the garment to stroke the sensitive flesh hidden there. The breath she had held stuttered out on a gasp as he moved his wide, rough fingers over her tender flesh. When she could finally force her eyes open she found him looking up at her. His eyes were burning, dark, lust filled pools of want as he watched the emotions play over her face.

Her nails dug into his shoulders harshly when he slipped his finger up her wet slit then back down and he kissed her roughly when he finally, slowly pressed into her. Their mouths caught her breathless whimper and his deep groan between them. She'd never gone this far with another person and her body was so tense from just a few strokes of his fingers that she almost came apart right then. She wanted to be angry when she felt the smile against his lips, but instead she kissed him roughly.

He pulled away again only to kiss his way down her neck and her whole body shuddered under his attention. "Bra…" he growled before biting at the pulse point on her neck. The hand that wasn't pressed between her legs wrapped around the ends of her long, blue hair and pulled, tilting her head back, baring more of her pale neck and chest to him.

She was so close to coming undone around him that it only made sense for a thudding pressure in her head to make itself known right then. That empty space in her brain that was reserved for her family's ki signature was suddenly filled with Trunks' familiar pressure. They both froze and turned to look out the front window at the ivory aircar slowly descending in front of them.

Goten swore and Bra turned back to him with wide eyes. It said something about how distracted he had become with her for her brother to get so close without Goten sensing him sooner. Reluctantly, she rolled off his lap, legs still trembling from her missed release, and back into the driver's seat with an unsatisfied huff.

"Shit, shit, shit…" Goten was muttering to himself looking down at his wet hand. He looked over at her from beneath the dark fringe that had fallen into his eyes. He raised an eyebrow and quirked his lips into a smirk. "Your brother is going to break my fucking hand," he said with a wink before he sucked his fingers into his mouth.

Bra felt her cheeks burn bright at the sight of him licking away her essence. She didn't know how to think anymore, her body still buzzing. It was the sound of a car door slamming shut and the seriously concerned look crossing Goten's face that made the gears in her brain start to work again. She didn't like the idea of being caught. Like this. With him. It was far too reminiscent of the fight she had with her father.

Really, she needed to stop fooling around in cars.

Reaching into the backseat, she grabbed her purse, digging around until she found the bottle of perfume she kept in there. Bra wasn't a fool. Saiyan's had an incredible sense of smell and fooling around the way the were, it would be the first thing Trunks would pick up. It was sad that she knew this from the experience of walking past Trunks' room after he had a girl over.

Dousing herself liberally, she turned to Goten who had started coughing. "What are you doing," he asked between hacks.

"Getting ready to go out tonight," she responded, reaching over and cupping his clench jaw in her palm. At her touch, his eyes focused in on her with lightning intensity. She wanted to kiss him again, but didn't think the risk of getting caught would be worth it, so with a wink she opened the door and stepped out.

Trunks was standing at the hood of the car looking for all the world like he didn't know what to be more puzzled over: The obvious new model of Capsule Car he'd never seen before or his best friend and his sister's ki signatures within it.

Bra shut the door with a bump from her hip, making sure to smooth down her skirt. She leaned against the car with a smug smile. "You like?"

Her brother looked between her and Goten as if trying to decide what questions he wanted to ask first. The look on Goten's face almost screamed guilty of something, like a kid caught with his hand in a cookie jar and it was here that Trunks focused. "What are you doing at Goten's so late?"

The question was for her, but he was watching his friend for the answer. Bra rolled her eyes, irritated at the spineless way Goten seemed to fold under her brother's glare. What did he have to feel guilty about being with her? He looked ready to confess to just about anything.

"Mom made me run out to Pan's house to drop off some paperwork or something. Goten rode with me back." Bra answered her brother's question. "And he told me I could go out with you guys tonight." She crossed her arms over her chest and gave her brother a mocking grin as if to say Ha!

"What!" Trunks furrowed his brow at Goten who raised his hands in surrender.

"I didn't think it'd be that be a deal," he said and Bra was glad he was able to catch on quickly. She was honestly concerned there for a minute, but Trunks seemed to buy it. She didn't think he'd ever honestly consider that they were fooling around.

"I already told her no when she asked me earlier," Trunks said shooting Bra a dirty look and she bristled at being spoken about as if she were a child.

"You know, you're not the boss of everyone," she snapped with a glare. "If Goten wants to take me with him, he can, you know."

"First of all," Trunks began, leveling his cold blue gaze on her, "I doubt he actually wants to take you anywhere. Your perfume smells like ass. I can smell you all the way over here. And secondly, your little crush on Goten isn't cute anymore. Stop trying to use him to get around me."

Bra blanched at that statement and she saw what little color Goten had regained drain from his face. He raised up off the ground with his hand back up in surrender mode. "I'm just gonna go… and uh," he coughed awkwardly, "get ready…" and then he was gone.

She was furious now, even though the entire point of the statement was to distract Trunks and it had worked. She couldn't stand the way he talked about her like she was still a little girl playing dress up. And she was particularly put off by Goten's reaction to the whole thing. Was she something to be so embarrassed about?

"You're a prick," she settled as a comeback. "I'm not a little kid, when are you going to get that? You probably pick up girls younger than me."

Trunks shook his head. "You're still my kid sister, Bra. And guys picking you is exactly what I don't want to deal with tonight."

Bra huffed at his response. She wasn't concerned about picking up random dudes, she already had her eye on one.

"So, this mom's pet project I take it," he said to change the subject, making his way around the car as he checked it out.

"Yeah, you knew about that?"

Trunks nodded with a snort. "She thinks she can hide stuff like this from me, but I'm the fucking CEO, of course I know what's going on in my company." He grimaced as he came around her side of the car. "Well, I knew she was up to something anyway."

Bra nodded, letting her anger from Trunks' earlier statements go in favor of gloating over her new car. "Graduation present. Only one like until production starts up next year." She said smugly.

"You should let me take it out."

This time it was Bra's turn to snort in disdain. "Not likely. I'm not letting you skank up my new car."

He opened his mouth to retort, but she was saved his comeback by the ringing of his phone. After a quick glance at the screen, he walked off to the front of his car to answer it without a word to her and Bra was left alone to think about the turn of the evening. No more than a few minutes passed before she heard the soft thud of Goten's touchdown at the front of her car.

Looking up from her contemplation, she gave him a small smile, somehow managing to feel shy after everything. She risked a glance at her brother, whose back was turned toward them engrossed in his phone conversation, before she made her way over to Goten.

She bit her lip as she looked up at him wanting nothing more than to feel the heat of his body once again. She was feeling flush just thinking about it. "Do you think you'll be coming back to the house tonight?"

Goten grinned, looking a little nervous about the question. "Not sure what the plan is for tonight, actually." He shrugged, looking at Trunks from the corner of his eye. "So, uh, things got a little heated tonight. Sorry about that…"

"I didn't mind," Bra practically purred. Lifting up on to her toes, she had the insane impulse to run her hands through his hair. Her earlier irritation forgotten with the idea of picking up where they left off.

"Yeah, well, it's, uh, probably not the best idea I've ever had. I mean, I don't want you to get the wrong impression or anything." Goten said, his hand slipping behind him to rub the back of his head.

"What the hell is that suppose to mean," Bra snapped, her eyebrow raised in renewed irritation.

He took a step back from her, looking more nervous than before. "I just mean that… whole thing … probably isn't a good idea for either of us. And tonight was a close call with your brother -"

"What does my brother have to do with anything?" Something cold was coiling in the pit of her stomach at his words. However, he was saved from having to answer by her brother signing off of his phone.

"Let's go!" Trunks called back to them as he opened the door to his car and climbed in. Goten gave her an apologetic look before turning and getting into the car. Although she wasn't sure what he was apologizing for: not being able to finish their conversation or for the way they started their evening. Either way, Bra was not happy.

She leaned back against the hood of her car, scowling for all that she's worth as she watched them take off, blasting toward the downtown club district. She waited until they were out of sight before getting in her own car and even then she sat for another ten minutes adding the additional layer to her already long evening.

By the time she made her way home, it was late and the house was dark, her parents having already gone to bed.

She waited up for him.

But he never showed.


	5. Party.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It wasn’t as if she had any claim on the man. Just because they had made out a couple of times didn’t make him her boyfriend. He had made that painfully clear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes made are my own. Thanks for reading!

 

Capsule Corporation’s annual shareholder’s gala took place at the end of every year to celebrate their record breaking profits. Since Trunks had taken over as president five years ago, not a single year had been skipped. While the corporation had always been profitable, the fresh blood invigorated sales and took the company to a whole new level.

Bra took in the grandeur of the opulent ballroom, the curved walls and domed ceiling made entirely from glass, giving breathtaking views of the city and nighttime sky. The glass ballroom was located at the top of one of the newest and tallest buildings in West City. The Corporate Tower also hosted a posh hotel, penthouse suites, and the company’s main offices and research labs; plenty of work was still conducted in the old labs at her home, but it was mostly used for personal projects by her family.

She had just finished making rounds of polite conversation with all the right people, as was expected of her: The fat cat shareholders with their pockets bulging with Capsule Corp. profits; she flirted with their young, unmarried sons and with the older eccentric gentlemen and now she was ready to leave the stuffy gala for where the real party was taking place in a conference room a few floors below.

Winking at the older man she had just finished talking to, she nabbed one last glass of champagne and headed for the elevators. On the way she passed her brother, still deep in conversation with one of their grandfather’s old friends and briefly wondered if he would make it to the party this evening. These events for Trunks were all about making appearances and schmoozing the right people. Though she had no doubt that by midnight he would make his way downstairs with a new “friend” on his arm.

In the mirrored walls of the elevator Bra fixed her hair, pulling the overgrown bangs out of her eyes and pinning them back with a diamond clip before tousling the big curls in her long, blue hair and making sure they cascaded over her bare back in a perfectly alluring way. Then she touched up her lipstick and smoothed the curve-hugging red silk of her dress over her hips just as the doors opened onto the next floor. The substantial difference in atmosphere hit her immediately as she stepped out of the elevator. The music was in sharp contrast from the live orchestra playing softly in the ballroom.

There were three conference rooms on this floor, all of which had been cleared out for the Capsule Corporation employees. One entire room was filled with a buffet and bar, while the one across the hall had been set up like a mini casino with card tables and a few slot machines. It was in this room where Bra finally found Pan and Marron playing darts in the back with a couple of guys she didn’t recognize. Marron spotted her first and waved her over.

On her way across the room, she passed a table of guys playing poker and immediately spotted Goten. He looked up as she passed and she watched as he gave her a slow once over before he caught her eye, smirking as he dealt the next hand. Bra tried her best not to blush and was instantly annoyed with herself for so easily becoming flustered. With a toss of her blue hair, she kept walking. He had once again done a disappearing act and she hadn’t seen him since they’d fooled around in her car.

_I just don’t want you to get the wrong impression…_

His stupid words kept coming back to her. She wasn’t sure what kind of impression he was trying to give her. If it was one where he was a jerk then mission accomplished! Even still, she could feel the heat spreading through her body at the sheer memory of steamed windows and panting breaths.

“Thank god you’re here,” Marron hissed into Bra’s ear when she was close enough. Bra gave Marron a puzzled frown and the blonde tilted her head in Pan’s direction. “Pan is drunk and she’s about to lose this game for me and I am not giving these guys their money back.”

Bra gave Marron another look as she folded her arms over her chest in irritation. Pan never drank. “What’s going on?”

Marron shrugged one slender, strapless shoulder. “I don’t know. You know she doesn’t talk to me about these things, but she hasn’t stopped drinking since I ran into her. Look, we’ve only got two more games and I can finish those on my own. Just... take her to dance or something,” Marron huffed.

Bra eyed the older woman for a moment, her own irritation rising at her attitude. She often forgot how single minded her friend could be when the subject was money. She was very much like her mother in that way. It was a problem. One that, Bra mused, had been a point of contention in her relationship with Trunks.

That or the fact that Trunks was a sleaze and slept with anything that moved.

Bra relented, more concerned with Pan than with Marron’s shortcomings. She moved over to the other girl who was talking with the two guys she’d noticed earlier, getting her attention.

“Bra! You’re here,” Pan exclaimed, giving her the wide grin Bra associated with the Son family.

“I am,” Bra smiled back, “and it looks like I have some catching up to do.” Pan laughed and introduced the two men she had been talking to as Hiro and Alan.

“Marron and I were beating these guys at darts,” Pan explained sipping on her drink.

“Barely,” Alan said with an easy grin and a lovely accent. “Before we get back to that, why don’t I get everyone a fresh drink?” As he made his way out to the bar, Marron joined them.

Bra could see what had Marron’s concern. Pan was giggly and overly flirty with men she had just met. Combined with the sight of her putting away her drink instead of nursing it like she typically did, made Bra pause. It was pretty out of character for her friend. The four made polite conversation as they waited for their drinks, however, Bra was distracted. She could see Goten on the other side of the room, no longer playing poker. His jacket was off, tossed carelessly over a chair and he was leaning close to a pretty redhead in a short black dress, talking in hushed tones.

Bra tried not to think too much about it as she watched the other girl giggle at something he said. It wasn’t as if she had any claim on the man. Just because they had made out a couple of times didn’t make him her boyfriend. He had made _that_ painfully clear. He wasn’t boyfriend material anyway. As a matter of fact, she could only recall one relationship he’d ever been in. That had been years ago and she had no idea why it had ended.

It didn’t stop the jealous feeling budding in her chest.

Alan made it back to them with a tray of drinks and Bra watched as Pan downed the one in her hand to take the new one. There was a bit more talking and good natured ribbing as the guys took their place to play another round. Bra hung back, ignoring the eyes Marron was making at her as Pan stumbled in her heels, laughing loudly as one of the men caught her. She was tracking Goten and the redhead out of the corner of her eye. It wasn’t until Goten’s hand slid up the other woman’s back with a suggestive look in his dark eyes that Bra decided dancing might not be such a bad idea afterall. 

Looping her arm through Pan’s, she gave the guys an apologetic pout. “I really want to go dancing and Pan has to come with me.”

“But we’ve just started,” Alan said, but Bra was already moving away with Pan in tow.

“I’m sure Marron can cover her,” she called over her shoulder in a light flirty voice, giving them all a small wave. She made sure to sway her hips as she sauntered out and extra sure not to notice if Goten noticed.

As soon as the two girls were out in the hall with the door shut behind them Bra stopped, turning to Pan. “Ok, what’s going on?” She asked.

“What?” Pan replied defensively crossing her arms over her chest. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Bra’s hands found their way to her hips as she shifted to one side. “It’s not that big of a deal, but this isn’t like you.” She assessed the pretty girl in a short green dress for flaws in her armor.

Pan’s mood darkened instantly. “Maybe I’m just trying to have some fun. You know, finales were only a few weeks ago and not all of us can just ace them in our sleep.”

Bra narrowed her eyes at the tipsy girl, her ire perked. It was just like Pan to try and deflect by attacking her with something so ridiculous. It wasn’t her fault that standard education was a joke to her and that she couldn’t attend a regular school. She furrowed her brows at the other girl. What wasn’t she telling her?

“Why didn’t Lee come tonight?” She asked and was rewarded when Pan’s face fell just a little.

“We got into a fight, it was stupid,” Pan replied bitterly. She frowned, looking at the floor for a minute, before looking up and continuing. “I’m just...” a heavy sigh, “I’m sorry for taking it out on you.”

Bra felt some of her anger leave at Pan’s contrite words. “Did you guys break up?”

“It’s fine,” Pan said quickly. “Maybe we’ll work it out. I just didn’t want him here tonight and I kinda want to forget the whole thing, so, you know, the drinking...”

Bra wanted a few more details, but decided against it at the sight of the stubborn set of Pan’s chin. The fight must’ve been recent enough because this was the first she’d heard of it. Pan had called her a few days after her date with Lee to tell her that everything had gone well and that was the last she had heard from the other girl.

Besides, she hadn’t said a word to her about Goten.

“Fine, I’ll get the full story out of you another time.” Bra grinned, grabbing Pan’s hand and practically dragging her down the hall. “For now, it looks like I have some catching up to do.”

* * *

 

The conference room at the end of the hall was the largest on the floor and had been set up with a dance floor, bar and DJ. There were flashing lights and a smoke machine going off somewhere and about a dozen speakers set up around the room. As the night wore on and people drank more, the room became more crowded until she could hardly move without bumping into someone.

Bra made good on her promise to catch up with Pan, going as far as taking shots in every color of the rainbow. Neither girl let their drinks run dry and eventually, the only thing she was aware of was the music.

Bra loved dancing. She loved everything about it. She loved the music; the way it seemed to reach down into her soul and make her body move to the beat. She loved the flashing lights and the press of bodies just as lost to the rhythm as she. It was her favorite form of exercise, though her father called it a frivolous waste. The rest of her family may love to do katas until they flailed around in their sleep, but Bra just wanted to dance.

At some point Marron joined them and she thought she caught a glimpse of Goten, though she decided to ignore that. She moved from song to song, dancing with anyone who came near enough to her. There was something liberating about grinding to the beat of the music against some anonymous guy. So lost was she, that it was with some surprise that she finally found her drink empty.

Pushing her way through the crowd of drunk people, Bra finally spotted someone she recognized. She had long ago lost Pan. Sliding up next to Marron, the blonde’s back was pressed tight against a guy Bra didn’t recognize, her black dress pushed up her thighs and her eyes closed.

“I’m going to the bathroom,” Bra yelled in the other girl’s ear to get her attention. Marron opened one blue eye and gave her a thumb’s up. Bra rolled her eyes. So much for the girl code.

Fighting her way out of the hot room and into the relative coolness of the hall, Bra made her way slowly to the ladies restroom, one hand steadying her against the wall. In the bathroom, she saw that her face was flushed bright red, her perfectly lacquered hair a mess and the beautiful red dress was most likely ruined from sweat. She made a face as she fixed her makeup and tried to smooth her hair back into the diamond clip, all the curl having fallen out. Satisfied that she’d done all she could, Bra made her way back to the hall.

Just outside the door, she heard a commotion and followed it to its origin outside the room with the DJ where Goten was struggling with a very drunk Pan.

“Panny, please,” Goten pleaded with his thrashing niece, gently holding her upper arms to keep her upright.

“I’m fine!” Pan said angrily trying to push him off of her.

“What’s going on?” Bra asked.

“Will’ou tell im I’m fine?” Pan’s words slurred together. “I jus wanna dance!”

Bra snickered at Pan’s slurred words and Goten shot her a baleful glare. “She passed out,” he said flatly.

“No, I tripped and fell.” Pan was becoming belligerent. She struggled against him more, but Goten held her easily.

“You’re wasted and you’re father is going to kill me.” Goten said looking very worried as this thought occurred to him.

Bra blinked at him owlishly, willing the room to stop tilting. She wasn’t exactly sober and did not like the thought of parental involvement. Her mother didn’t exactly approve of Bra drinking and Gohan was downright scary when he wanted to be. But neither were half as terrifying as Videl. She did not want to deal with that tonight. It looked like this party was over.

Bending down to look Pan in the face, Bra told her as much. “Let’s just go back to my house; this party is winding down anyway.” It wasn’t. It was barely midnight.

Pan looked at her, her eyes bleary and face flush and finally agreed to leave. She stood to her full height quickly, which was a mistake and the next thing they knew, Pan was falling over, out cold. Goten swore as he caught her, lifting her up to carry her out.

“I’m going to take her outside before she throws up,” he said with a frown.

“Hold on,” thinking quickly, Bra grabbed the clutch hanging off Pan’s wrist and fished her phone out. Quickly she tapped out a message to Gohan:

_Bra is having some melodrama so I’m going to crash over there tonight._

And sent it off before getting on the elevator with Goten and Pan. She thought that sounded like something Pan would say. She knew Pan had called her melodramatic before, which was rude, but whatever, as long as it did the trick. Gohan’s reply came as they reached the street with an okay.

“All clear!” Bra grinned and they began to make their way down the street to the Briefs manor.

Goten shook his head, a small smile on his lips. “I’ve never seen her like this before. I didn’t even realize she was drunk until she passed out. I was just pulling some guy off her and the next thing I know, she’s on the floor. Is something going on?” He wisely questioned.

Bra was not about to break her friend’s confidence, but figured a little bit of truth wouldn’t hurt. “She had fight with her boyfriend.”

“What about?” Goten asked using his I’m About to Get Angry voice, but Bra just shrugged. “Of course you’re not going to tell me.” She shot him a sly grin and he narrowed his eyes. “Are you drunk?”

“I’m fine.” That was a lie. She certainly felt better out in the cool air, but she was most certainly still drunk. “I didn’t have as much as Pan.” _That_   was the truth, strictly speaking because it’s hard to catch up to someone when they’re taking all those shots with you.

The night was crisp and clear and while it felt like heaven after that hot dancehall, Bra shivered. “Here,” Goten said as he stopped and maneuvered Pan to take off his jacket and hand it to her.

“How chivalrous,” Bra said with a delighted laugh, slipping the large jacket on.

“Yeah, well, I do what I can,” he said, smiling down at her, his dark eyes looking her over. Bra felt decidedly small and oddly demure in Goten’s oversized jacket. The inside lining was soft and the sleeves slide well past her fingertips. As she waited for Goten to move Pan into a more comfortable position on his back, she dipped her nose into the collar, reveling in the scent that was purely _him_.

They continued their walk in comfortable silence. The Capsule Corporation Complex took up several city blocks in the heart of West City. What had started out in the domed building, with labs and offices sharing space with their home, had expanded into the sprawling complex, with the skyscraper serving as the current headquarters.

Focusing on the sound of her shoes hitting the pavement, Bra hugged the jacket closer to her body, concentrating on not falling in her heels. She was just beginning to feel like her head was clearing, that fast Saiyan metabolism making quick work of the alcohol, when she felt something inside the pocket of Goten’s jacket.

Curiosity getting the better of her and not feeling even the tiniest bit of shame at going through Goten’s things, she pulled out a black, leather wrapped flask.

“What’s this?” She crowed in delight, pulling the top off.

Goten looked over at the sound of her voice. “Hey, give that back,” he said as he reached to snatch it from her hand.

Bra easily danced out of his reach, mischief gleaming in her bright blue eyes. Against Goten’s protests, she took a hard pull from the flask then a sputtering cough as it burned its way down her throat. “ _What is this?_ ” She croaked when she could talk again.

Goten laughed at her, shaking his head. “I tried to warn you,” he said as he leaned over and easily pulled it from Bra’s grasp. He took a drink for himself and grimaced. “Good stuff, yeah?”

“Yeah,” was Bra’s dry response. “Seriously, what did I just drink?” It was at both times sweet and spicy in a way she’d never experienced before. And it had texture. Drinks shouldn’t have texture unless it was orange juice. She was kind of worried about that.

Goten shrugged, jostling Pan on his back and causing the poor girl to moan in her sleep. “Not sure really. Vegeta sometimes brings it back from his trips.” He handed the flask back to her and, against her better judgment, she took it.

“Ah, so that’s what he’s doing. Here I thought he was visiting his other family and its just an intergalactic booze run.” Bra eyed the drink dubiously before taking a small sip. It wasn’t as bad the second time, now that she knew what to expect.

Goten chuckled as he watched her take another tentative sip. “Nah, not Vegeta. The booze is just a bonus.”

“Yeah, I know,” she said, handing the flask back. Whatever that alien wine was, its effects were immediate. She could already feel it tingling down her arms and into her fingertips. “Daddy is out there making the universe a better place. Or something.”

Recently, Vegeta had begun frequent trips off the planet. Two or three times a year he would head out and be gone for a month or two at a time. The intent was to keep down any rising threats in the power vacuum the demise of the Cold Empire had left. And with Son Goku gone, he was worried eyes turn toward earth since it had become the epicenter for activity over the last few years.

“Yeah, well, as long as he’s stopped looking for my dad because that ain’t going to happen.” There was a hard and somewhat bitter edge to his voice.

Bra studied his profile for a moment after that comment, noticing the troubled look in his dark eyes and decided to quickly change the subject. Goku was still a touchy topic.

“Trunks wants to take Capsule Corp intergalactic,” she said hoping to draw Goten from his dark musing.

Bra wanted to sigh in relief when he turned to her, eyebrows raised in curiosity. “Really,” he said, “Trunks hasn’t mentioned that.”

Bra nodded. “He and daddy have been talking about it for a while now. I guess there’s a republic forming out there and Trunks wants to get in on the ground floor. So, I’m leaving with Daddy in a couple months to go check it out.”

“ _You’re_ going?” Bra frowned at the incredulity in his voice.

“Why not me?”

Goten held a hand up in surrender. “Just surprised is all. I mean, you’ve never been off the planet before. I just figured it was something Trunks would do.”

Bra crossed her arms over her chest, “Trunks doesn’t get to do everything.” She shook her head, dropping the pout she could feel coming on. “There’s a school. Daddy said it used to be one of Freeza’s training facilities back in the day, but now its become more of a place where people can gather and exchange information. I’m going there for a few months, taking Dinocap technology with me.”

She watched Goten out of the corner of her eye, catching the way he smirked down at her. “Well, that sounds like fun.” He said and Bra could hear the sarcasm in every word. “Didn’t you just get out of school?”

“It is!” She giggled, bumping her shoulder against him playfully. The move caused her to stumble in her heels, throwing her off balance. Goten reached out to steady her, wrapping his arm around her waist as she got her feet back under her. She looked up at him blue eyes wide as he pulled her tight against his body. She could feel his warmth bleeding through the jacket and for a moment she forgot where she was as the world around her narrowed to the dark brooding of his eyes.

The sound of a gurgling moan shattered the moment and Bra awkwardly pulled away as Goten shifted to readjust an unhappy Pan. The night suddenly felt much colder after having been so close to him, the cold wind biting into her cheeks as the rest of world came back in sharp focus.

She cleared her throat as they began walking again. “I, uh, did finish school a few months ago, but, you know… once in a lifetime opportunity and all.” She wanted to cringe at how lame and forced she sounded.

Goten made a noncommittal sound, his face turned away so that all she could see was the sharp curve of his jaw. Bra focused on the gentle swish of the flask clutched in her hand as they made their way silently down the block to her home.

It didn’t take long for them to reach the dark, empty house. She let them in quickly and the sudden blast of heated air made her head spin.

“You can just take her up to your room,” she said to Goten softly before leading him up the stairs.

In the small room Goten gently laid Pan down on the bed while Bra dug in the dresser for an old t-shirt for her friend to sleep in. She didn’t usually have a problem with loaning out pajamas, but she didn’t like the idea of Pan throwing up on it, so a shirt from Trunks would have to do. Goten left the room as Bra tugged on Pan to help her out of the dress. One bleary brown eye cracked open.

“Sorry, Bra.”

“S’ok,” she replied, unzipping her bodice before pulling the t-shirt down over her head. Pan managed to shimmy the rest of the way out of the dress before all her energy seemed to disappear at once and she flopped back onto the bed.

“Trunks here?” Pan’s question came out a bit garbled as she struggled to stay conscious, but her eyes were already closed and her breathing slowing.

“No,” Bra answered, wondering if she should be worried about alcohol poisoning. The younger girl mumbled something unintelligible in response before passing out completely. Bra waited a beat to see if she might wake up again then left the room, closing the door behind her.

In the dark hall, Bra saw Goten emerge from Trunks’ room sliding a dress shirt over broad shoulders. He gave her a half grin upon noticing her.

“Pan drooled all over me,” he said by way of explanation, his voice soft in the still silence of the house. She watched him fumble with the buttons for a moment before crossing the hall to help him.

Stepping in close, she brushed his hands away, taking the small buttons and fastening them. She kept her head down, focused on her task and trying not to think about how close he was or the way her fingers brushed the thin undershirt he wore.

She took her time, though, because despite everything she loved being near him. He smelled good, his body wearing cologne and musk from the night in a way that made her want to swoon. She rocked gently into him, breathing deep when large, warm hands came to rest firmly on her hips.

Bra’s hands stilled as she neared the end of the shirt and she looked up at him through dark lashes. Even in heels he was much taller than her. The top of her head barely reached his nose. Those dark, pensive eyes looked back at her and Bra felt her skin flush at the heat in his gaze. She bit her lip watching as his eyes followed as she scraped across it.

His grip tightened ever so slightly, fingers digging into her back as he pulled her closer, his lips meeting hers. The kiss was soft and gentle, not like the others they’d shared before. A barely there slide of lips over hers. She let him kiss her while she waited for the voice at the back of her head to tell her this was a bad idea; to stop him because this always ended with her being hurt and confused. Instead there was only a distant grumbling, an echo of those thoughts that were banished completely by a deep, frustrated growl from the man holding her.

He pulled closer still their bodies now pressed tightly together and her hands fisted in the shirt in an attempt to keep them from running up his chest. Goten pressed her mouth more insistently, gently sucking on her lower lip. She made a small hum of approval, whatever resistances dissolving with the flexing of his fingers at her waist. This time when he pulled away she followed him, arms wrapping around his neck to keep him in place while she returned his kiss.

It was that same fire as before; so quick to ignite and burn bright. Her tongue swirled with his and she forgot what it was like to kiss anyone before him. There was only him. There had only ever been him. He was under her skin and in her blood. He kissed her like she was the answer to the question he’d been searching for.

He moved her backwards, guiding her feet until her back was pressed against the wall. Bra hooked a leg around his waist as his hand found the slit in her skirt and slid up her bare thigh and hold her steady. He made his own little noise of approval, bucking his hips gently into her as he kissed wetly down her neck and across her chest.

Her head fell back as she arched into his touch and she knew right then that more than anything she wanted him. All of him. She wanted every last inch of his skin pressed to every last inch of hers. She wanted his every pant and moan. She wanted his eyes squeezed shut in pleasure. She wanted every last bit of the pure, raw energy she could sense buzzing under his skin.

Bra’s head was swimming by the time he made it back to kissing her mouth. Slender fingers carded through dark hair, scraping along the back of his neck. A shudder went through him and he pulled away just enough to rest his forehead against hers. Strong hands that had been holding her pressed to the wall stilled her rocking hips. An involuntary whimper escaped her at the loss of friction.

His eyes sought out hers as they struggled to catch their breath, but she couldn’t read anything there in the dark. After a moment where the only sound was that of their heavy breathing he whispered her name. It was a soft sound, reverent and awed and it sent a tingle all the way down her legs.

“I can’t… we…” His rough voice tripped over the words before he buried his face into the crook of her neck, breathing deeply. “I need to go.”

Bra’s eyes slid closed in fervent denial at his words. At the truth in them. She couldn’t respond. Goten let go of her leg and kept her steady as she regained her balance. He stepped away, just enough to give her space to stand, but he couldn’t keep his eyes off her.

Bra worried kiss swollen lips between her teeth, her breathing still ragged as he smoothed his hands down over her hips. “I have to leave. I have to go back to the party.” The words sound as if they were said more for his benefit than hers; as if he were trying to convince himself.

“I know,” Bra whispered, sliding her back against the wall, pulling away from him. She licked her lips, watching him watching her. “Do you ever think about it? About us. Together.”

Goten swallowed thickly. “Don’t say that,” he rasped. He sounded completely wrecked as he braced himself against the wall and traced her footsteps down the dark hall.

Bra smirked, enjoying this affected Goten. She could feel his dark eyes tearing through her. Could practically feel the heat from his gaze. He watched her as if she were a wild thing and that was exactly how she felt. Her body buzzed, hot and throbbing, already missing his touch.

She slipped through her open door into the moonlit room. Stopping in a patch of light from the moon as it spilled across her floor, she watch over her shoulder for Goten to appear in her doorway a moment later. Bra could now clearly see the dark, predatory glint in his eyes, hands fisted at his sides. Every muscle in his body was taut with tension, though he made no move to enter or to leave.

Bra watched him carefully; blue eyes locked with his dark ones, as she slowly reached trembling hands behind her to the low slung dress and pulled the zipper down over the small of her back. At the sharp intake of his breath, she let the straps fall from her shoulders to catch in the crook of her arms. Bra turned ever so slightly, in just the right way to catch the light before she let the dress fall to the floor to pool around her heels.

Clasping her hands behind her back she presented herself to him. Silver light from the full moon caressed her pale flesh and she knew she was striking to behold. Her skin was flushed, her breast pert from his attention, nipples a pretty pink to contrast with the dark bruises he left across her chest. The wood around the doorway groaned in protest as Goten gripped it tightly. He looked as if he were in physical pain, wrestling with wanting to touch her and needed to leave before he did. He drank her in, eyes bottomless pools of longing and Bra finally took pity on him and held out her hand, palm up.

“You don’t have to leave,” she said in the same throaty whisper she’d used before.

Goten swallowed thickly, opening his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Instead he closed it with a snap, his jaw tense, and dragged a hand down over his mouth as he considered her naked form. He was visibly wrecked and absolutely torn, a slight tremor stealing through him at the sound of her voice.

A beat passed. And then another and Bra held her breath waiting. She knew he wanted her. It was written plainly in taut lines of his body. And Bra didn’t think she could state her feelings any more plainly.

When he did finally move, it was with a dreamlike haze as he stepped into the room taking her proffered hand, threading their fingers together. His dark eyes never left her blue ones and she was completely swept away by the intensity there. The door behind him shut and as he pulled her to his chest there was the sound of the lock clicking home.


End file.
